From the Garage to Global Player
Interview with Mareike Boccola, Managing Partner of Hauschild GmbH & Co. KG
Hauschild GmbH & Co. KG from Hamm has revolutionized the mixing of materials with their Speedmixer. Instead of traditional stirring elements, the medium-sized company uses stirrer-less technology based on centrifugal forces. Managing Partner Mareike Boccola, together with her husband, CEO Fabio Boccola, took over the 50-year-old family business in 2013 and continues her father's tradition of innovation – with success.
Wirtschaftsforum: Ms. Boccola, has it always been your wish to take over the family business?
Mareike Boccola: I didn't stumble into succession, but it wasn't planned either. I took this step together with my husband because it felt right at the time. It was important to me that I was never forced to join. After my business studies, I went abroad, set up an office in China for a startup in the water technology sector, and met my husband there. When my father asked in 2013 if I wanted to take over, my husband and I could well imagine doing so. He is an engineer and fell in love with the product.
Wirtschaftsforum: How does the Speedmixer actually work and what makes it so special?
Mareike Boccola: My father was a classic 'garage tinkerer'. Through his father-in-law, who worked in the dental industry, he learned how dentists took impressions. The dental assistants mixed the material by hand, which was inaccurate and tiring. That's where the idea for the Speedmixer – the first stirrer-free mixing technology – came from. A cup rotates on a plate, the mixing cup holder in one direction and the cup in the other. The opposing centrifugal forces, with rotations up to 3500 RPM per minute, create a mixing process. This sounds simple but requires extensive knowledge of rheology and material science.
Wirtschaftsforum: Last year, Hauschild celebrated its 50th anniversary. What are the major milestones in the company's history?
Mareike Boccola: The most important milestone was of course my father's patenting of the agitator-free mixing technology in the 1970s. In 2021, the absolute innovation that my husband developed in the second generation came – the first Smart Machine. We were the first on the market with IoT-enabled devices and temperature control. The biggest leap forward was the temperature measurement and control in 2022, with which we were again pioneers. Another milestone was the establishment of our own distribution company in the USA in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic.
Wirtschaftsforum: What are the unique features of your products? What are the USPs?
Mareike Boccola: Firstly: Made in Germany. The precision we achieve through our craftsmanship is unparalleled. Secondly: No compromise on quality. We do not buy cheap components, but rather focus on the highest quality. And thirdly: Absolute customer orientation. We don't just set up a device and leave the customers alone. Our salespeople drive to the clients, conduct tests with their materials, and during the induction program all processes together with them. We keep our ear to the customer and find the right solution for every problem.
Wirtschaftsforum: How digital is Hauschild today?
Mareike Boccola: We are very advanced digitally in product development. As a traditional SME, we still have potential in our own processes. We are strong in digitizing our products – we offer not only mixing but also analysis and data collecting. The path to collecting and analyzing mixing data, integrating artificial intelligence to monitor and evaluate the mixing processes – that is the future. Today, the possibilities of data analysis are not yet fully utilized.
Wirtschaftsforum: How international is your company today?
Mareike Boccola: We have 50 employees in Germany and 12 in the USA. Our export rate is well over 50%, with the main market being the USA. We see growth potential in expanding into more countries like India or Latin America, where a lot is still mixed by hand. Additionally, the major chemical companies take us with them when they expand internationally.
Wirtschaftsforum: What values characterize your family business?
Mareike Boccola: For us, the name says it all – family. We talk about our 'Hauschild family'. Our employees are our most valuable asset, and we take care of them. 'We care about you' – this value was introduced by my husband. In addition, we embrace maximum quality, continuous innovation, customer orientation, as well as honesty and professionalism.
Wirtschaftsforum: What does your strategy for the coming years look like?
Mareike Boccola: We aim to remain at the forefront, continuously develop our products and services, and open up new markets – globally and industry-specific. Additionally, we want to enhance our digital presence. People talk about the ‘Hidden Champion’ in the SME sector – we are still part of that. But I believe the time of being ‘hidden’ is over. We need to become an ‘obvious’ or ‘well-known champion’ – for customer acquisition, employee recruitment, and positioning as a brand. Our goal is to create a ‘WOW effect’ in our customers that we often see when they witness our mixing process for the first time.